Friction-clutch.



PATENTED APR.

A. P. BRUSH.

FRICTION CLUTCH.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 19, 1904.

Patented April 11, 1905.

UNiTED STATES ATENT @FFicE.

ALANSON P. BRUSH, ()F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

FRICTION-CLUTCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,072, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed February 19, 1904. Serial No. 194,426.

Be it known that l, Ari-use): P. BRUSH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, county of \Vaync, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful improvement in Friction-Chitches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

.\ly invention has for its object certain new and useful improvements in a friction-clutch, the same being more especially designed and adapted for use in connection with a trans mission -gear for power-propelled vehicles; but 1 do not limit myself solely thereto, as my invention contemplates as coming within its scope any and all uses for which the same may be found adapted.

l carry out my invention as follows:

In the drawings, a represents a power shaft driven by any suitable source of power, and I) is a driven member sleeved upon said shaft. A 'frietionplate is indicated at c, the same being constructed with a hub (Z, keyed upon said shaft, as indicated at c, said friction plate being arranged to be forced against the member I). To force the frictionplate 0 against the member I), I have shown two toothed rings or disks fand g, having interlocking teeth on their adjacent surfaces, the teeth being beveled or wedge-shaped on their adjacent faces, as shown, said disks or rings being provided with operating-levers h and f, whereby each of said disks may be operated the one independently of the other. A thrust-collar is indicated at outside the ringf, the ring having also a thrust-bearing against a shoulder It? of the hub (Z. The disks and g are provided with ball-bearings, (inwith the shaft a. The disksfg are actuated by their respective levers ft and By a proper movement of one of said lovers the friction-plate is forced against the member I). The friction-plate is released from the member I) by a corresponding reverse movement of one of the said levers. Any suitable frictional contact-surface intermediate the plate 0 and member I) is indicated at g. It will be understood that any desired mechanism to be driven by the clutch may be carricd by the member I).

It will be evident that the ringsfand are entirely supported upon the balls, the balls with the ring and collar forming antifriction and thrust bearings upon the hub of the plate. It will also be seen that when the rings are moved one with respect to the other they will be moved apart to force the frictionplatc upon the member I).

It will be seen that the same set of balls aid not only in forming a thrust-bearing, but also a center bearing with respect to the shaft L. (2., the same balls that take the thrust support and maintain the rings upon the shaft. The toothed rings do not contact with any of the rotating parts of the mechanism except through the balls in any direction. I prefer to construct the friction-plate c and its hub in two parts, the hub being provided with a flange 1-, which may be bolted to the plate 0, the plate 0 projecting outwardly beyond said flange and being preferably somewhat elastic.

The cam-surfaces on the ringsj'and 1 be tween the teeth preferably are so arranged that when the teeth pass a certain point the rings will be maintained for a given period in such position. Thisis accomplished by constructing the rings between the teeth with parallel surfaces, as indicated in Fig. l at 8. After the rings pass the highest point of their teeth there will be no further motion and no tendency to release until the rings are agaii actuated.

What I claim as my invention isl. A friction-clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a driven member sleeved upon the shaft, a friction-plate to engage the driven member rotatable with the shaft havmg an extended hub provided with a shoulder adj acent to the plate and in a plane parallel to said plate, inner and outer disks having interlocking wedge-shaped teeth on their adjacent faces both mounted upon the extended hub of the friction-plate, a thrust-collar adjacent to the outer disk to hold the disks in place upon the shaft, means to rotate each of said disks independently the one of the other to force the friction-plate upon the driven member, and a set of ball-bearings for each of said disks, one set of ball-bearings supporting the inner disk and serving as a thrustbearing against said shoulder, and the other set of ball-bearings supporting the outer disk and serving as a thrust-bearing against said collar.

2. A friction-clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a driven member loosely mounted thereupon, a friction-plate provided with an extended hub rotatable with the shaft to engage the driven member, adjacent inner and outer disks having adjacent cam-surfaces both mounted upon the extended hub of the friction-plate, means to hold the disks in place, a set of ball-bearings entirely supporting each of said disks upon the hub, said ballbearings also forming a thrust-bearing in both directions longitudinally of the shaft and a central bearing toward the axis of the shaft. p

3. A friction-clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a driving member sleeved thereupon, a friction-plate provided with a hub rotatable with the shaft, toothed disks having interlocking wedge-shaped teeth on their adjacent faces both mounted upon said hub, means to hold the disks in place, means to rotate said disks to force the friction-plates upon the driving member, said disks mounted upon ball-bearings, and a spring to exert its tension against the friction-plate. '41. A friction-clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a driven member sleeved thereupon, a friction-plate provided with an extended hub mounted on said shaft and rotatable therewith to engage the driven member, adjacent inner and outer disks having interlocking teeth provided with coacting cam-faces on their adjacent sides both mounted upon the extended hub of the friction-plate, means to hold the disks in place upon the shaft, means to rotate said disks to force the frictionplate upon the driven member, and ball-bearings for each of said disks, said disks constructed to form both central and endwise bearing surfaces for the balls, said ball-bearings forming a thrust-bearing in both directions longitudinally of the shaft and central supporting-bearings toward the axis of the shaft.

5. A friction-clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a driven member sleeved thereupon, a friction-plate provided with an extended hub mounted upon said shaft and rotatable therewith to engage the driven member, adjacent inner and outer disks having interlocking teeth provided with coacting camfaces on their adjacent sides mounted upon the extended hub of the friction-plate, a thrust-collar upon the shaft adjacent to the outer disk to hold the disks in place, means to rotate said disks to force the friction-plate upon the driven member, and ball-bearings for each of said disks, said disks constructed with cup-shaped seats for the bearings to form both central and endwise bearings for the balls, said ball-bearings forming a thrustbearing in both directions longitudinally of the shaft and central supporting-bearings to ward the axis of the shaft.

6. A friction-clutch comprising a rotatable shaft, a driven member sleeved thereupon, a friction-plate provided with an extended hub mounted upon the shaft and rotatable therewith to engage the driven member, adjacent In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribmg witnesses.

ALANSON P. BRUSH.

Witnesses:

N. S. WRIGHT, M. L. SIMMoNs. 

